Dec 3, 2018
Toronto teammates excited for Nylander’s return
Maple Leafs eager to see what the team can accomplish with the distraction of William Nylander’s contract status a thing of the past, Kristen Shilton writes.
TORONTO – Kasperi Kapanen was glued to his phone like everyone else on Saturday, waiting to learn if his good friend William Nylander would agree to a new deal with the Maple Leafs, or if the restricted free agent would pass the NHL’s 5 p.m. deadline unsigned and be ineligible to play the rest of the season.
“I was just checking my Twitter feed probably every 15 seconds, that’s for sure,” Kapanen said after the Leafs’ practice on Monday. “Obviously it kind of went down to the wire there and I was getting nervous a bit. But once it was done, it was a good feeling.”
Nylander’s six-year pact was filed with the NHL’s Central Registry minutes before 5 p.m. on the same night Toronto was preparing to play the Minnesota Wild. Knowing his players were keenly invested in the outcome, head coach Mike Babcock didn’t waste a moment relaying the news when it came down.
“We were checking [social media] right up to the last minute, and then Babs broke the news about five minutes before [the deadline],” said Connor Brown. “We were all chatting about it obviously, trying not to be distracted, but it’s hard not to be. There was excitement throughout the room.”
That carried over into a reunion with Nylander and most of his teammates on Sunday, right after the 22-year-old arrived in Toronto from his native Sweden. The ensuing revelry wasn't just about seeing Nylander for the first time in months, it was about what his return could signal for the Leafs’ Stanley Cup hopes this year.
While Toronto has produced a 19-8-0 record without Nylander, he was the team’s third-leading scorer over the last two seasons (with 122 points in 163 games) and adds another wrinkle offensively that the team sees as irreplaceable.
“It’s exciting having him back here in the city. He’s a big addition to this team,” said Mitch Marner. “I did the ‘make it rain’ dance when I saw him. Gave him a hug and said congrats on the new contract.”
“You could just see the relief off his shoulders that he can finally just get back to playing hockey again and being part of the group,” added John Tavares. “We want to do something special and keep building from where we’re at. Getting a player like him back and a great guy in the locker room that has been part of this young group, it’s really exciting.”
As a newcomer to the Leafs this season, Tavares hasn’t played with Nylander yet, but was impressed by him during their early summer workouts before Nylander returned to Sweden for the duration of his negotiation.
Their first official game as teammates will still have to wait a little longer. Nylander was going through medical tests on Monday before meeting with the media later in the afternoon.
Babcock said Monday he will get Nylander back into the lineup “as fast as we can” once the testing is completed and assessed, but wasn’t willing to reveal any potential linemates.
Nylander projects to slot next to Auston Matthews again, after playing with him the majority of the last two years. There’s also the chance Nylander will join Matthews’ power-play unit with Marner, Tavares and Morgan Rielly at some point.
“He’s got great poise to him, great skating ability. And I think he has a very underrated shot,” Tavares said. “It’s a very, very good shot that maybe teams don’t take for granted, but don’t know that well. He’s known as a really good passer and playmaker, but I’ve seen him shoot the puck and seen some highlights over the years and I think he’s got a really good shot.”
Once he’s cleared to play, the next hurdle for Nylander will be rounding back into his old form. Brown, who has been Nylander’s teammate since their days with the AHL Toronto Marlies in 2014-15, doesn't think it will take very long.
“He will be fine. He’s skilled enough,” Brown said. “He can pick it up at the drop of a hat. I know him, I know how hard he works, so he’ll have been training all year and be back up to speed right away.”
Babcock wasn’t quite as optimistic about an immediate transformation, saying it’s “going to be hard” on Nylander to face NHL competition again. But Babcock was unequivocally pleased to put the saga behind him and his players.
“He knows what he’s missed,” Babcock stated. “We live in the short term here, live in the present. Get in the game and when the game’s over, think about it for a few minutes and get onto the next one. We’re excited to have him. We’re a better team with [Willy].”